Thermo Fisher Scientific

Work Schedule

Standard (Mon-Fri)

Environmental Conditions

Laboratory Setting

Job Description

Position Summary:

Works closely with other technical teams inside of Thermo Fisher Scientific and the South African Medical Research Council to ensure long-term success of the Centre for Advanced Training and Innovative Research (CATIR) training centre. Takes the lead in coordinating and guiding diverse teams to effectively deliver projects that span across various business units. Manages resources, schedules, and finances throughout the project's life cycle. Responsibilities encompass not only identifying and resolving issues but also proactively assessing risks and managing project change requests to guarantee successful delivery within the established timeline.

Acts as the project manager for a portfolio of large-scale and complex projects, overseeing day-to-day operations. Ensures that the projects produce the required deliverables within the specified constraints of time, budget, and quality. The goal is to drive the projects to achieve the desired outcomes and results, all while fostering collaboration and communication among team members and stakeholders.

Responsibilities:

• Provides leadership to assigned staff by performing the following: leading organizational change; developing and empowering staff; cultivating relationships; putting staff in a position to succeed, meeting their personal career goals while also achieving organizational goals; building effective teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals; driving engagement and creating a climate where staff are motivated to do their best.
• Directs the project(s) and project teams ensuring all necessary activities occur as planned or are negotiated and agreed to by the customer. Coordinates scheduling of activities to meet customer demands and utilizes expertise and experience to resolve issues. Identifies resource issues and utilizes effective communication/leadership to ensure that satisfactory resolution occurs. Delegate tasks and responsibilities to appropriate personnel.
• Maintains close contact with various stakeholders through meetings, site visits, teleconferences, and other forums to ensure that issues are addressed, and project timeline activities are met. Serves as primary contact and communication link between Company and customer. Effectively communicate with superiors, team members, clients, and other stakeholders.
• Meets regularly with project team members, internal support functions (finance, legal, customer service, product management, distribution, country leadership), and external sub-contractors to manage project progress, risk, and issues, change control, project finances, project reporting and ensuring execution of the project in line with the customer contract(s) as related to the project(s).
• Negotiates project conflicts within the company and with the necessary customer contacts, ensuring resolutions that are amenable to both parties and/or informing management of potential risks & issues. Assist in dispute, negotiation, arbitration, or litigation, as needed.
• Full project life cycle ownership: successful project delivery will include full implementation from initiation to deployment for one or more initiatives simultaneously. Prepare estimates and detailed project plans for all phases of the project. Participate in establishing practices, templates, policies, tools, and partnerships that facilitate project success. Provide status reporting regarding project milestones, deliverables, dependencies, risks, and issues. Understand interdependencies between technology, operations, and business needs.

Other Job Requirements:

• Prepares and presents project updates to customers, project teams, project boards, and country leadership.
• Works safely and responsibly to create an injury-free and incident-free workplace.
• Continue professional development to keep abreast of emerging technologies, methods, and best practices
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in either a scientific or project management-related field.
• PMP certification or equivalent is desirable.
• Equivalent combinations of education, training, and relevant work experience may be considered.

Minimum Experience Level:

• 5 years of relevant project management experience in the delivery of customer solutions for scientific laboratory development, ideally in a biological scientific environment.
• 3+ years of experience with full product lifecycle with an understanding of the development lifecycle and various technology methodologies that support that lifecycle.
• Experience with governmental projects in South Africa is desirable.
• Intermediate level of proficiency with MS Excel, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and Project Management Software with experience presenting to stakeholders and/or Senior Leadership.
• Experience negotiating vendor contracts.
• Experience in successfully leading projects and programs on time, on schedule, and within budget parameters.
• Experience leading, motivating, and managing various project and program team sizes, including internal and external resources, while holding the team accountable for performance.
• Experience influencing and gaining buy-in from executives, sponsors, team members, stakeholders, and peers.

Skills and Attributes:

• Interpersonal skills to influence and spur change, facilitate, and enhance performance within a cross-functional environment.
• Demonstrate decisiveness in resolving business problems, making decisions, and identifying priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate and negotiate a diversity of issues.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Ability to effectively collaborate with others to achieve team goals and expectations.
• Outstanding attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Self-starter, mature, independent, and dependable.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment under pressure, able to multi-task, and is results-oriented.
• Demonstrates ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality.
• Effective time management and prioritization skills.
• Requires discretion and independent judgment.
• Ability to identify and mitigate risks before they become issues.
• Identify and develop project management methodologies, best practices, and standards.
• Develop and manage project policies, procedures, templates, and other shared documents